First let me say that I'm not yet finished with the coffee table. You know how these projects go with me...they get completed, but not very snappy-like, hehe. I did bring the table into the house to paint a couple of days ago but realized it needs a little caulking first. That meant I had to first bring the caulk from the garage to the house to thaw:) I'm planning on caulking it (I should say, having hubs caulk it) tomorrow night.

I put the table in the living room where it will go and I just love it! It's just what I wanted, an overscale table to anchor the room. We also brought in a chair from the office to put in front of the window and I think it really completes the arrangement. Some might say, "Too big, too much, too crowded!" but I'm going for cozy and intimate and warm. The kids are loving having the table to play games on (an under!), I have a little extra space to put books and arrangements, and hubs just likes having a place to put stuff:) What I would really like are a couple of round, tall-ish end tables for either side of the couch. Right now, on one end, I've just turned a long end table sideways and at an angle. As for the coffee table, it will be painted a white and then lightly glazed with an antiquing glaze.

As usual, I have another question for visitors. I'm toying with the idea of also putting beadboard in the living room. As you may know, I will be adding it to the kitchen/dining room (it's all one space), the back wall of the living room, and down the hallway. It will also be going in the bathroom. It will be 48 inches high. I'm hoping to also have a picture ledge as opposed to standard trim.

Above is a photo of a small piece of the beadboard up next to fireplace, along with a sample of our floor and a mock up baseboard. Imagine this around the entire perimeter of the living room. The first photo of the living room (above) is the view from when you walk in the front door. The next photo is from a few feet over standing directly behind the loveseat...

And then over a few more feet towards the kitchen and dining room...This shot was taken while standing at the threshold of the kitchen/dining area:

Here is a vertical shot from the same position so that you can get an idea of the height of the room. Beadboard less than 48 inches tall, I think, would just look silly.

Ok, I found an old photo that might give a better indication of the height. If it weren't so cold in the office right now, I'd be tempted to dig deeper...but anyway, imagine if you can 48 in high beadboard...

And another old photo showing the back wall (a few feet behind the loveseat) and the hallway, which will be getting beadboard (nevermind the unhinged closet door and tile...all of that is coming out to make way for a built in):

Ok, standing at that threshold, you turn around and see the kitchen and dining area that will also have the beadboard.

So, what I know for sure: beadboard in the kitchen, dining area, living room back wall, down the hallway, and in the bathroom. My question is, should the entire living room have beadboard, too?

I know I've had a lot of questions as of late, but we have several projects lined up for the rest of the winter and into the spring and I need my ducks in a row...In other words, I need all the help I can get! Thank you so much!

The current issue of cottage living magazine has a nice house in Ala. with beadboard everywhere! So, there is no such thing as TOO much. However, the fireplace mantel concerns me w/r/t the 48" height. I think you should shoot for above the top of the mantel or below it but not right AT mantel height, would look strange. Why don't you photograph the room with a line of blue tape at the proposed height of the beadboard plus shelf. I would go maybe above it by 8".

Do you mind if I ask where you found your bead board? Are you using the sheets or the individual strips?I have seen thin and thick bead board sheets at the Lowe's/Home Depot places. The thin seems too thin and "fakey" but the thick looks like it is for the exterior of a house and is a lot rougher on the surface than I picture interior bead board being. We will be painting ours white to go in our bathroom. I enjoy your blog and check in from time to time.My opinion on the living room. . . and I adore bead board; I think that with all of that bead board at 48" and all the horizontal lines created by the tops of your sofa and chairs your going to be visually chopping your room " off at the knees" so to speak. I like Kathy's comment about propping it up around the room to get an idea. You could also just take white sheets and use duct tape to hold them on the wall at a height of 48" just to get a rough idea of what that much white at that height will do to your room visually. I like to do things like that to help me picture things before a purchase. I've used tablecloths and clothing pieces hung in a room to select paint colors or pillow colors. I've also used throws and beach towels in combination on the floor to make a decision re. rug size. Sometimes I'm very confident in my decor decisions and other times these little tricks help me decide.Marcia in Tx Ü

If you prop the beadboard up in your living room and then sit on your furniture I think you'll find that the beadboard draws your eye up too much and I think you want the focus to be down on the fireplace and your coffee table. I vote no in the living room.

We have beadboard in the family room, and it is 35 1/2 inches high. If you have it 48 inches high, it might make your ceilings seem lower. It will cut your room in half. We bought the 48 inch beadboard, but cut it down.In the adjoining dining room, we just put up chair rail moulding and painted the walls white below it. It looks great, and was cheaper than all beadboard.Nancy

Good tips and advice! I have to admit, though I LOVE, Love, love, beadboard, I've had my reservations- but only because the 48 inch height would interfere with being able to hang a mirror or piece of art at the proper height above the couch.

One of the reasons I'm going with the 48 inch height is because a beadboard panel is 8 feet tall, so to be economical, it just makes sense to cut the panels in half. I like the look of higher up beadboard, too, so hopefully it will all work out. Having at least the back wall of the living room "beadboarded" may be just enough.

Marcia, I picked up my beadboard at Lowes or Home Depot (can't remember which, but they both should carry it). I bought the wood panels that are about 1/4 thick. The panels are about 4 feet wide and 8 feet tall. They are very rough to the touch, but if have a hand sander, they will smooth out for you after some sanding. We used the same beadboard for the sides of our cabinets and after sanding, priming, and painting, it feels really nice and isn't rough like what you begin with.

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate all of you taking the time to give me your thoughts...It always gives me a lot to think about and consider- things I haven't thought about before. And thanks for the compliments, too. This house drives me bonkers sometimes - the disarray and state of incompletion, not to mention the "scary" and ugly parts, lol!...your kind words always brighten my day!

I think the beadboard would look good around the fireplace, tying the mantle into the surrounding wall. However, I think it might cut your wall off at a funny height and make your furniture look too short.

Meanwhile, I am coveting that copy of Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens--I've been hunting my own copy for the Tasha Tudor illustrations!